Until early December 2005, I was a normal sixth grade girl. However, things changed during a doctor’s visit one day. I had been ill for a while and it was to the point where I struggled to stay awake at every moment of the day. That day I was diagnosed with type-one diabetes. I spent three days in the hospital recovering and learning all there was to know about living with my disease.

I will never forget how the nurses at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago transformed a scary experience into one where I was comfortable and had a blast with the coloring books and crafts they brought me. I admired how caring and smiley they were. Whenever they walked into the room, I could feel they cared about me and treated me like a person and not just another patient. As I grew older and began thinking about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, I knew the health field was where I belonged and I can thank my diabetes and the magnificent nurses for leading me to that discovery. My goal is to positively impact the lives of sick children the way the nurses impacted mine.

After realizing that the medical field was right for me, I made the decision to begin my studies in nursing. That way, I would be able to obtain a job after four years yet still have the opportunity for advancement. Additionally, I will be able to personally care for each patient more as a nurse than I would if I was a doctor. When researching quality nursing schools as a high school junior, I discovered Loyola University Chicago which has a very well-known nursing program and a gorgeous campus. I am currently a sophomore nursing student there and have a 3.4 GPA. Not only am I doing well at a difficult university full of bright students, but I love my classes. I know that I picked the right field of study and my excitement to continue the nursing program is beyond words. After I graduate with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, I hope to obtain a job at a children’s hospital. I also plan on continuing my education to obtain the level of nurse practitioner. Although I am not positive what kind of nurse I would like to be, I know I want to work with children and/or babies for I feel I have the right qualities to care for the young.

When I am not in class or studying, I am involved with clubs and volunteering. I am the treasurer for the Student Nurses Association of Illinois at Loyola, program coordinator for a few residence halls, and a mentor for a sweet girl for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago. In addition to this, I am currently in the process of becoming a volunteer at Lurie Children’s Hospital for the spring semester. I spent a colossal amount of time volunteering in high school and both my volunteering and my high school job involved children. Therefore, I am incredibly excited to begin. I hope to be able to brighten the faces of those that truly need it and this desire is one I hope to be able to fulfill during my career as well.